"Continuities and discontinuities. Educational program of The Planned Parenthood Association in Krakow (1957 – 1993)"

Author(s): Barbara Klich-Kluczewska / Language(s): English / Issue: 1/2014

The article presents the program of sexual education prepared and offered by Krakow Branch of the Planned Parenthood Association in the wider context of socio-political situation in Krakow (1956 – 1989). Since the beginning of the Association’s existence, the special attention was paid to the development of educational program, which concerned the different aspects of „family life“. The article is going to answer the questions about its goals, the educational tools used to achieve them and its social targets. To accurately determine the position of the Association in the city‘s community I will analyse its foundation and activities in wider context of the pre-war traditions of the organisation and the activities regarding premarital counselling undertaken by the Krakow Catholic Church.

"CU MOARTEA PE MOARTE CĂLCÂND": "CEASUL MORŢII" DIN PERSPECTIVĂ TEOLOGICĂ ŞI MEDICALĂ

Author(s): Daniel Lemeni / Language(s): Romanian / Issue: 22/2016

In this paper we explore the issue of death from medical and theological perspective. In the first section, we highlight the conclusions led by Dr. Sam Parnia, which are supported by scientifically proven facts. Dr. Parnia believes many more people may have experiences when they are close to death but drugs or sedatives used in the process of resuscitation may stop them remembering. In the second section we point out that the death is a separation that is no separation. We see death as unnatural, abnormal, as contrary to the original plan of the Creator, and so we recoil from it with grief and despair. But we see it also as part of the divine will, as a blessing, not a punishment. It is an escape from the impasse, a means of grace, the doorway to our recreation.

"UNIWERSYTET JEST NAJWAŻNIEJSZY”. Stefana Sawickiego idea katolickiej universitas studiorum

Author(s): Henryk Duda / Language(s): Polish / Issue: 1/2017

The article discusses the publications by Stefan Sawicki (a scholar born in 1927) on the idea of the Catholic university. According to Sawicki, the most important issue in this fi eld is the relation between science and faith (ratio et fides), and the resulting question about the university’s identity, in particular about the marks of a Catholic university. The other issues, such as procedures of giving names to Catholic universities, their research fi elds, the proper size of a Catholic university, and the balance between the university’s openness to ‘others’ and its guarding its identity, stem directly from this crucial issue. While Stefan Sawicki’s writings will not provide a ready-made answer to the question of how a Catholic university should be structured or how it should function at a given time in history, they may inspire a “reflection and debate on what the university of this type should (and can) be like today, in particular in modernday Poland” (Stefan Sawicki, On the Catholic University, Lublin: Towarzystwo Naukowe KUL, 2012, 8). Sawicki adds: “It might be commendable not to limit the debate in question to the general formulas of the Catholicity of a university, but rather to point how the Catholicity in question should be implemented in the academic practice” (ibidem). The questions raised by Sawicki pertain to an issue which cannot be disregarded also outside the scope of his work.

(Christian) Bioethical Dilemmas in Using Synthetic Biology and Nanotechnologies

Author(s): Antonio Sandu,Ana Caras (Frunza) / Language(s): English / Issue: 35/2013

Ethical dilemmas raised by the use of nanotechnology in medical practice can be viewed from several perspectives: religious spiritualist perspective, the perspective of human dignity (nanotechnologies can be thought of as an affront to human dignity), the issue of controversial choice. The article aims to expose some bioethical dilemmas in using synthetic biology and nanotechnologies. Nowadays is often brought into discussion the fact it is possible to appear in the future new human species resulted not via natural selection and evolution, but through the demiurgic effect of technology development in areas such as: synthetic biology, genetics, neurobiology and neurosciences, prosthesis technology and not least of artificial intelligence research. We will also refer into this paper at the possible raised challenges to ethicists who are oriented towards an ethics of species. Those challenges are raised right from the dawn of a consciousness of species, a social construction generated by changes of the meaning of belonging to humanity. During our article we argue that medical technology, especially genetics, medical assisted human reproduction and not least synthetic biology, require a rethinking ethical meanings of applying those technologies in everyday practices.

“They spoke Hungarian but were of a Romanian faith.” A Greek Catholic community in Székely Land in the first half of the 20th century

Author(s): Eszter Gyorfy / Language(s): English / Issue: 1/2018

The present study examines the fate of a Greek Catholic parish in Székely Land, more specifically the inhabitants of Kostelek (Coşnea) based on the archival and anthropological field research of the author placing it within the context of the findings of earlier research on the 20th century identification struggles of Hungarian-speaking Greek Catholics in Hungary. For Greek Catholics of Ruthenian and Romanian origin assimilated to the majority Hungarians, their linguistic-national and religious identities were often incompatible during the 20th century. The problematic situations resulting from this “collision of identities” were treated by individual communities in a variety of ways, and Hungarian Greek Catholics living within changing state lines chose various identification routes. The case study presented here will demonstrate that all this, beyond the political changes, was closely related to the pastoral activity of the local priesthood and to particular local conditions.

13. Tefsir Akademisyenleri Koordinasyon Toplantısı ve Akademik Tefsir Çalışmaları Sempozyumu (27-28 Mayıs 2016 Ankara)

Author(s): Ismail Çaliskan / Language(s): Turkish / Issue: 1/2016

The evaluation of Meeting of Tafsir Academics which held on 27-28 May 2016 in Ankara and Symposium of The Studies of Academic Tafsir/Ecegesis.

A 20.SZÁZAD TÖRTÉNELMI ESEMÉNYEINEK JELENTŐSÉGE A GÖRÖG KATOLIKUS EGYHÁZ SZÁMÁRA SZLOVÁKIÁBAN (CSEHSZLOVÁKIÁBAN)

Author(s): Béla Bohács / Language(s): Hungarian / Issue: 1/2018

Historical Events of the 20th Century and Their Relevance for the Greek Catholic Church in Slovakia (Czechoslovakia). In 2018, the Greek Catholic Eparchy of Prešov commemorates the 200th anniversary of its establishment. Throughout its existence, the eparchy experienced its heyday and there were times when the eparchy struggled and suffered. The darkest period was the total liquidation of the Greek Catholic Church by the totalitarian regime in the years of 1950–1968. The eparchy resumed its activities in 1968 during the “Prague Spring”. The period of unrestricted activities of the eparchy, however, commenced after the “Velvet Revolution” in 1989.

A Critique of Alvin Plantinga’s Speech: ‘’Science and Religion: Where the Conflict Really Lies?’’

Author(s): SÜMEYRA TURAN / Language(s): English / Issue: 1/2018

This article aims to examine Alvin Plantinga's speech at Biola University which name is: ‘‘Science and Religion, Where the Conflict Really Lies.’’ In order to achieve this purpose, after giving a description of the emergence of conflict between two disciplines, the ideas of Plantinga is examined through his speech and articles. The remainder of the article conducts a critical examination of his thesis in the light of Islamic viewpoint.

A GYERMEKBIBLIA-KUTATÁS LEGJELENTŐSEBB EREDMÉNYEI

Author(s): Dávid Németh / Language(s): Hungarian / Issue: 1/2018

The Most Significant Results of the Research on Children’s Bibles. About twenty years ago, Children’s Bibles gained special attention in the field of Religious Education. Since then there has been active research in this field. The historical investigations have revealed a great amount of data unknown before. This study presents the case of the Hübner Bible in Hungary. There has been research concerning the theological and pedagogical aspects based on which the selection of the Biblical stories was made, research about the theological and didactical aspects of the narrative style and also the developmental psychological aptitude on the receiver side that has to be taken into consideration. The types of changes and distortions that differentiate the texts of the Children’s Bibles from the original are also discussed in the study. The quality and the function of the illustrations are also a subject of investigation. Here again the needs and the characteristics of the age group of the children who use the Children’s Bibles is a significant aspect.

A Haunting ‘Ideology’: Doubling

Author(s): Daniela Tuchel / Language(s): English / Issue: 2/2010

Dans cet article l'idéologie sera prise, d'une manière simpliste, pour un moyen de considérer les choses. Son épithète en anglais envisage l’intensité de la pression sociale quotidienne exercée par l'esprit d'imitation. Dans l'étude de certains procès de doublement, nous devons nous rapporter à l'humanité qui doit résister au cauchemar du clone scientifique. En plus, la vision double sera prise pour une réaction en chaine en tant que la mort de la diversité et le doublement de l'original fort culturel. La dissémination du double semble mettre en danger les ressources créatrices de la planète par son appauvrissement graduel. Finalement, l'originalité même d'un petit pays sera affectée par la globalisation contemporaine et son procès de doublement.

A HÁZASSÁGBAN ÉLŐ KERESZTÉNY LÉT LELKISÉGE ÉS TEOLÓGIÁJA

Author(s): Tamás Kruppa / Language(s): Hungarian / Issue: 1/2018

Spirituality and Theology of the Married Christian Being. The „Milieu” where a modern Christian marriage exists, seems to be among not to easy circumstances. It is a double sided situation behind of you with God when you are together with your husband or wife, and behind of you with your wife or husband, when you are together with God. Although, we believe that in the Holy Spirit this two parts can be united into one whole. The marriage as institution is older than Christianity, but it is created and blessed by God from the beginning what’s the source of all holiness or sacrament. Christ gave it to the fullness when He raised it up to Himself. He is the only fundament in what all things stand up and fulfill sacraments, too. The marriage is a sacrament both in the Catholic and Orthodox Church, but from the point of you the of marriage’s mystery, they have some differences in their details. The scholastic Latin and the post patristic eastern Churches perspective the founda¬tion of sacraments like a creation ex nihilo, a discontinuing phenomena, and the sign of the sacraments are caused by Jesus Christ, the Incarnated Son of God. However the patristic tradition and the modern emigrant orthodox theology maintain that the foundation of the sacraments are in the fulfillments of sacrament’s sig or symbol which is created by God in the beginning intentionally in order to be able to reach its own final purpose. The “Love spiral” involves nine different grades which follow each-other again and again. In a really deep love connection these Moments of love need to be realized gradually. These grade are: 1. Calling, 2. Identity, 3. Intimacy, 4. confrontation, 5. Con¬version, 6. Reconciliation, 7. Communion, 8. Commitment, 9. Mission. Conclusion. There must be peaceful and friendly but professional confrontations between different parts of the divided Churches to find and looking for together the original place and status of the marriage in the Christianity. Marriage, Church, Sacraments, and particularly Eucharist are united in Jesus Christ ever and forever. This is the reason why Christian sacramental marriage make part of the sacraments of the Church and of Christ as Bride and Bridegroom.

A KOLOZSVÁRI REFORMÁTUS TEOLÓGIAI FAKULTÁS KÖNYVTÁRÁNAK IRATGYŰJTEMÉNYÉRŐL

Author(s): Gábor Sipos / Language(s): Hungarian / Issue: 1/2017

After 1895, documents of archival character got to the library of the Protestant Theological Faculty. Papers of pastors were filed here with the intention of maintenance, dioceses and parishes also transferred old documents. Writings taken away from the archive of Supremum Consistorium on purpose to carry on research work got here, too. A part of the Sombori family’s records was filed here in 1940. The collection comprising 449 papers dating from the 16th–20th centuries was docketed by Nagy Géza, professor of theology in 1951, who arranged the documents according to chronological order. In 1979 the collection rolled in The Archive of the Transylvanian Protestant Church District, in the course of its classification we have sorted the papers according to provenance, the writings loaned were put back to their original places.

A MAROSI REFORMÁTUS EGYHÁZMEGYE 1927. ÉVI KETTÉOSZTÁSA (A BEKECSALJAI REFORMÁTUS EGYHÁZMEGYE LÉTREJÖTTE)

Author(s): Árpád Róbert Berekméri / Language(s): Hungarian / Issue: 1/2017

The territory of the Reformed Diocese of Maros was modified in 1927, this being the second significant change in its history. In 1641, several parishes have left the diocese to form the Reformed Diocese of Görgény. The managing of a diocese, which by the first half of the 20th century represented 125 parishes, became a difficult task for the governing body. The idea of a territorial division came up in 1918, but only in 1922 was a decision made by the board of the Diocese. The lengthy splitting procedure, approved by the Board of Directors, ended on April 20, 1927, with the formation of the Reformed Diocese of Bekecsalja. Lajos Kolozsvári became the Dean of the new Church organization and Dr. László Dósa lawyer became the churchwarden. The Board of Directors rejected the appeal made against the election, and confirmed the new governing body of the Diocese on May 24, 1927. While the new diocese was not recognized by the Ministry of Culture and while neither the state nor the Board of Directors gave any aid for the settling in arrangements, the functioning of the diocese had to be managed through its own available budget.

A Short Note on the Scientific Attitude, the Religious Attitude and the Surrational

Author(s): Bruno Marchal / Language(s): English / Issue: 1/2016

We explain that the scientific attitude, with a “good understanding” of what is science, might be the most genuinely religious attitude, and that in fact, religion and science are much closer than what we are usually told. Nevertheless they cannot be identified effectively in any terrestrial applications without leading to inconsistency, but are truly, and thus non effectively, identical in the ever guessed true realm.

A structural analysis of deconversion processes in adolescence: The construction of the Adolescent Deconversion Scale

Author(s): Miroslaw Nowosielski,Rafal P. Bartczuk / Language(s): English / Issue: 1/2017

The presence of spiritual and religious changes in adolescence is strongly supported by the existing theory and research. In the present article we propose to apply a deconversion-based approach to the exploration of religious crisis in adolescence. Streib developed the theory of deconversion in the context of the growing interest in atheism and apostasy. In the proposed approach, deconversion processes comprise all changes in personal religiosity that involve a departure from the current ways of manifesting religiosity. Drawing on Streib’s theory, on the basis of research conducted on 323 people, we constructed the Adolescent Deconversion Scale. Analyses revealed the existence of four dimensions, which we interpreted as: (1) abandoning faith, (2) withdrawal from the community, (3) experiencing transcendental emptiness, and (4) moral criticism. The reliability and validity of the new method were assessed and found to be acceptable.

A Study of Begliktash Megalithic Complex

Author(s): Diana Kjurkchieva,Evgeni Stoykov,Sabin Ivanov,Borislav Borisov,Hristo Hristov,Pencho Kyurkchiev,Dimitar Vladev,Irina Nikolova Ivanova / Language(s): English / Issue: 2/2017

The article presents the results of interdisciplinary study of megalithic complex Begliktash conducted by a group of researchers from the University of Shumen. The main conclusion is that Begliktash is a natural phenomenon with interesting stone complex morphology that may have been artificially consolidated and used both to perform rituals and for calendar purposes.

A TANÍTVÁNYSÁG ÁRA

Author(s): Lehel Lészai / Language(s): Hungarian / Issue: 2/2017

The gospels inform us that following the calling of Jesus, the disciples forsook their trade, their homes, and the members of their families. In brief, they left everything behind, what they lived from and for. Jesus says very clearly that following him is only possible, if the one called denies himself and takes his cross up. On the other hand, he promises that he who forsakes his house, or brothers, or sisters, or parents, or children or fields for him will receive a hundred times as much in this present age, with persecution, and later, eternal life as a reward. In Mt 19,28 (cf. Lk 22,29-30, where they receive the promise of the kingdom too), Jesus promises the twelve disciples that they will sit on thrones and that they will judge Israel. If someone leaves his fortune, but sticks to his trade, he can still hope to regain his possessions. The return to a forsaken trade was difficult (Jn 21,2-3), if possible. After leaving possessions and occupation, the forsaking of one’s family follows. This is more difficult, because it demands the undoing of ties of blood which are deeply rooted in humanity. Jesus does not stop here. He goes even deeper in the question of self-giving and self-denial of the nominees for discipleship. Someone, though with a heavy heart, in difficulties could give up everything and everybody who is outside of him, but Jesus asks the utmost here, the called person’s life. Jesus had two kinds of disciples. On one hand, there were those who obeyed the calling and immediately left everything and followed him. On the other hand, others accepted him as their Master and Saviour, but they stayed at home, in the midst of their families and in possession of their properties. These two groups are called the wandering and the sedentary disciples. For the twelve disciples, following Jesus includes the break with the old connections, with those material or family bonds, because the disciple starts an entirely new relationship with Jesus, as their teacher. In the light of 1Cor 9,5, the questions about a radical break with occupations, possessions and families remains open, since Paul mentions that the apostles and Peter took their wives on their mission trips with them. One possible explanation is that when Jesus called the twelve disciples, they had to break with everything which defined their earlier life and follow him this way. On the other hand, there were disciples who served Jesus and his followers with their material goods. After the death and resurrection of Jesus, a different situation pertained, and then the married apostles carried out their service together with their wives. The fact that when the disciples left their wives and children, they were not the only ones to suffer, but so were their relatives, whom they left on their own for a while (until Easter). Another possible explanation could be formed, if we discuss this question in the light of 1Cor 7,29–31 where Paul speaks of a symbolic break.Jesus calls the disciples, and the Twelve breaks with everything what determined their former lives, and follow their master. Their life is characterized by poverty and wandering, while they experience miracles in the company of Jesus. They continue the mission after the death and resurrection of their master. After a while, it starts a process of becoming petty bourgeoisie, during which the second generation of disciples stop wandering and leaving behind possessions, and they live as sedentary disciples in their families.

A VALLÁSTANÁR ÖNISMERETIÉS SPIRITUÁLIS KOMPETENCIÁJA

Author(s): Gabriella Márta Gorbai / Language(s): Hungarian / Issue: 1/2018

The Self-knowledge and Spiritual Competence of the Religion Teacher. The person and the interpretation of profession of the religion teacher is one of today’s central problems. Theological competence, discussion and dispute competence, developmental psychology-diagnostic competence, and pedagogical competence are all linked to the religion teacher’s competence profile. However, this study only aims at discussing self-knowledge and spiritual competencies. Self-knowledge has two pivotal aspects from the religion teacher’s point of view: on one hand, the teacher’s own development of personality, knowing themselves aids forming a positive relationship with the pupils, which is the bedrock of the effective transfer of information, and on the other hand, by transmitting personality development methods achieved through personal experience, the religion teacher offers a device for developing self-knowledge to the pupils. Discussing the spiritual competence is relevant, because the religion teacher has to be ready for regular introspection in front of God in the personal religious life, and also, for a continuous growth in faith.

ABACS MÁRTON ÉS ZALÁNYI LÁSZLÓ VITÁJA ÉS A HIT ARTIKULUSAI

Author(s): Vilmos József Kolumbán / Language(s): Hungarian / Issue: 1/2018

The Dispute between Márton Abacs and Laszló Zalányi and the Principles of Faith. Disputes regarding economic issues, like the one that lasted from spring until the autumn of 1751 was not unique events in the history of the Reformed church in Transylvania. The influential and respected Abacs family had numerous conflicts with their contemporary of church dignitaries. When their personal interests and demands need¬ed, the members of the Abacs family did not take into account anyone or anything. They reached their goals using less legal methods. Abacs Márton junior became a priest of Torda (Turda) taking advantage of the support of the wealthy nobility of Torda (Turda), and as a “devoted brother” he also tried to obtain another congregation of the city for his brother. Besides the economic dispute with Zalányi László, it was also a Reformed dogmatic conflict between the two. Abacs accused Zalányi of apostasy of the Reformed faith, but later, as a former student with theological education gained in Kolozsvár (Cluj-Napoca), managed to clarify his religious position. Their dispute reached the Consistory, where they soon remedied their divergences on economic issues. However, in order to investigate Zalanyi’s supposed apostasy, a broader analysis of the Consistory was needed. On this occasion, the Bishop of the Reformed Church emitted an interesting document of dogmatic history, called the Fundamental Articles of Faith. The document clearly demonstrated that in the middle of the 18th century the official position of the Reformed Church was still based on the official doctrines of Orthodox Protestantism. It denied the idea of free will, human goodness, and sustained the idea of original sin.

Advanced Technology (Quantum Mechanics) Applied: The Science Behind Scriptural “Miracles”

Excerpted from Scriptural and Secular Parallels

Author(s): Eloise T. Choice / Language(s): English / Issue: 1/2017

Nanotechnology ( the mechanics of Quantum Theory) is science, engineering, and technology conducted at the nanoscale, which is about 1 to 100 nanometers (1 billionth of a meter) on the metric scale and involves imaging, measuring, modeling, and manipulating matter at this length scale (10-9). Therefore, nanotechnology, nanoscience and nanobiology involve the ability to see and to control individual atoms and molecules “the internal movement of matter with a certain external cause” (Tudor 227) at the nanoscale. The focus of this discussion is on the “miracles” described in the Judeo/ Christian Old Testament and the Christian New Testament. This paper postulates that God, Jesus, the heavenly angels, and their human emissaries (Moses, Aaron, Elijah, the disciples/apostles) harnessed and applied similar scientific techniques (albeit far advanced beyond what mankind has done today) to accomplish what are often referred to as “miracles” (secular “magic”). Therefore, what we in the religious communities have long referred to as “miracles” (as are recounted throughout Holy Scripture and non-canonical Scriptures) were actually the result of advanced technologies applied. In the case of most of the Biblical “miracles,” the creation, restructuring and/or replication of physical matter were conducted at the atomic and molecular levels (10 -9). However, one in particular may have been conducted at the giga scale (10 9) when “… the sun stood still in the midst of heaven, and hasted not to go down about a whole day.” (Joshua 10:13). Nonetheless, this discussion proposes that these extraordinary events, manifestations of Divine intervention, were all accomplished in either of two ways: (1) A force of energy – referred to in Scripture as the Holy Spirit -- was tapped, harnessed, calibrated and channeled directly by way of Divine Word – the voices/ commands of God and Jesus -- to the intended target and (2) A force of energy – the Holy Spirit – was tapped, harnessed, calibrated and channeled indirectly by way of conduits such as rods, by way of Divine and human hands and the human body to the intended target. As the reader will come to realize over the discussion of this Theory, the ways in which these supernatural events came about sometimes overlap. Moreover, not all of the Biblical “miracles” will be discussed here.